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Monday, 17 December 2012

Insurrection


This is the first of Robyn Young's take on the Robert the Bruce story.

She starts with the death of King Alexander and the Bruce's formative years. Then his time at the English court is played out in some detail before his return to Scotland. Firstly, supporting Edward and then his conversion to the Scots cause. This volume ends just after the disastrous battle of Falkirk and the falling out between Bruce and Comyn.
The narrative sticks fairly closely to what we know of the period, although this is limited. What does come over is the complexity of Robert the Bruce and his shifting allegiances. There is good historical note that explains the historical deviations.

I picked this up because I really enjoyed this author's  Brethren trilogy. This story is not quite so dramatic but it is well written and has everything you would expect in the best historical fiction. I will read on.

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